What Our Response Should Be To The President-Elect

I meant to write this earlier today (Nov 5th) but have been real busy with other things going on. Anyway here are my 2 cents.

First, I did not vote for Barack Obama. I have a lot of concerns about his capabilities as being the Commander and Chief. I also question if all the promises that were made will come to pass (yet you can expect that from every politician).

Now that is out of the way. I feel it our duty, as True Christians, to uphold in prayer our President-Elect rather than make foolish Christian rhetoric. I can't believe how many times I saw statements that dealt with Barack Obama ushering in the end of the world. Really people!? IS that what we Christians do when we don't get our way: "Something didn't go my way, so it must be close to the end of the world." A Christian temper tantrum.

Have you ever watched the movie "Ice Age". You remember the Dodo birds. They tried to prepare for the end of the world with just 3 melons. When our herd of misfits came near the birds started chanting "Doom on You, Doom on You." We Christians can't afford in this season to act like the Dodo birds but we are. We think we have it all figured out but trust me we have fallen short in our preparations to establish the Kingdom of God. Our "Doom on You" mentality when things don't go our way just shows our ignorance of scripture, gives us a bad testimony, and further prevents the work of God to take place.

When Jesus was asked what the two greatest commandments were He said the first was to love God and the second was to love your neighbor. That means every person we know on earth we are meant to show love and compassion for. The neighbor who blasts music way too loud and way too early in the morning - we need to love him. The grocery store clerk who charged you twice for items in your cart - we need to love her. The homosexual who is proud of his lifestyle - we need to love him. The person driving their car 5 miles under the speed limit when we're 10 minutes late - we need to love her. The President-Elect who you may not agree with - we need to love him.

Our prayers for Barack Obama should not be ones that are tainted with hatred. But heart-felt prayers for the man and those who he chooses to serve with him to be guided by God. Christians are good activists when it comes to things not turning out their way (Doom on You). Christians should be known for their proactive love and sincere prayers (But we're not). Let's try to make steps to change that. Pray for Barack Obama. Pray for Joe Biden. Pray for Rahm Emanuel. Show love; that's truly what Jesus would do.

Father, we come before You rejoicing. Knowing that You know all things and have greater understanding then we do. Forgive us for our "Doom on You" attitude. Help us to show Your love by loving our neighbors. As You well know our country made many choices recently. Some that we agree with and some we don't. Father, I lift up our President-Elect, Barack Obama. Guide him. Give him courage and strength for the tasks that are set before him. Bless his family. With the same prayer I lift up those who are working with him, Joe Biden the Vice President-Elect and Rahm Emanuel the White House Chief of Staff. You alone have laid out the future and know what stands before these men. Lord, guide them to do their work with integrity and morality. If they do not have a relationship with You bring someone in their path that will point to You. Thank You. We love You. Amen.

"In the world but not of the world." - Christianese

Christians say the darnedest things. If you are a Christian you might have said this; or if you have been around any Christians or gone to a church service in the past 10+ years you have probably heard this: "We are 'in' the world but not 'of' the world." This statement is so often said that many believe that it is scriptural. But this is just some Christianese that really is not biblical. Some may say I am splitting hairs but hear me out.

Now I am not denying the fact that we are "in" this world. I'm not denying the fact that scripture does say that we are "not of the world". What I do deny is the concept taught here is that we live in the world but we should not have fellowship with those in the world. It suggests that those who do not have a relationship with Jesus are horrible people that we, "holier-than-thou", Christians should stay away from. (FYI: this is crap)

There are many scriptures that say that we are not of the world and that we should not be friends with the world. But this type of friendship is meaning to "be like" or "reflecting" it's personality.

"In the world but not of the world" is such a separatist statement. We are in the world to be the salt and the light (Matthew 5) and yes our destiny is heaven. This statement, however, releases me of my responsibility "in" this world. To me this statement is saying, "I am in this world but since I am not of the world I don't need to make an impact on it".

This Christianese statement should be "Not of the world but in the world". This reflects more of what scripture as a whole teaches; "I am not of this world but since I am in the world I'm going to make an impact on it". This makes me responsible to fulfill the Great Commission. Look at what Paul says:

"I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner - not even to eat with such a person. For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges." - 1 Corinthians 5:9-12

Paul is saying that if anything we are not to separate ourselves from the people of the world. On contrary, be with them. But if you are to separate yourselves from a person it is to be from the believer who is living like the world.

Pharisees judged Jesus for eating with sinners. I don't think I need to point out who we should emulate. TRUE Christians are not Pharisees. Let's not get caught up in Christianese and forget what the true Word of God says.